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NEWARK, Ohio — An ousted Licking County fire chief has appealed his firing, calling it “
unconstitutional” and “arbitrary” in documents filed this morning.

David Fulmer has been fighting for his job as West Licking Joint Fire District chief since
his May 30 suspension. After more than five months of investigations and hearings — during which
Fulmer continued to earn his $98,800 salary — the fire board voted to fire Fulmer on Nov. 8.

The appeal to the Licking County Common Pleas Court alleges that the board didn’t follow the
law in firing Fulmer, and that he didn’t receive a fair hearing because some of the trustees were
biased against him. It also says the board didn’t have just cause to fire him.

The board voted 4-1 to terminate Fulmer on the basis that he violated the district's
online-services policy by importing to his computer tens of thousands of emails from his previous
employer, Miami Township Fire Department. Fulmer said he was unaware that the documents contained
Social Security numbers and sensitive medical information.

Fulmer, 42, of Pataskala, was hired in 2009 as chief of the district, which covers 100 square
miles, including Pataskala and Etna and Harrison townships. He had previously served as the fire
chief in Miami Township and in Fitchburg, Wis.